Thirteen years after the devastating events in lower Manhattan that shaped the nation back in September of 2001, the restored World Trade Center is finally opening for business.
First in line with boxes, ready to move in is mass media giant Condé Nast — blazing the trail for others as they begin to help take back the New York Skyline.
Upon the news Condé Nast’s move, Patrick Foye, the executive director of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey that owns both the building and the World Trade Center site, went on saying that, ”The New York City skyline is whole again, as One World Trade Center takes its place in Lower Manhattan.” He later added that One World Trade Center ”sets new standards of design, construction, prestige and sustainability; the opening of this iconic building is a major milestone in the transformation of Lower Manhattan into a thriving 24/7 neighborhood.”
Thriving is an understatement. The building is 60-percent leased, with another 80,000 square feet going to the advertising firm Kids Creative, the stadium operator Legends Hospitality, the BMB Group investment adviser, and Servcorp, a provider of executive offices, according to USA Today. That’s good business for the 104-story, $3.9 billion skyscraper that dominates the Manhattan skyline — serving as America’s tallest building.
As for Condé Nast — who owns both GQ and Vogue magazines to name a few — they will occupy floors 20 through 44. Allotting them to a total of 1.2 million square feet.
According to the NYTimes:
Anna Wintour, the editor of Vogue magazine who inspired the novel and film “The Devil Wears Prada,” will move to the 25th floor along with her staff, while Graydon Carter, the editor of Vanity Fair, will take the 41st floor.
The elephant in the room that has much of New York on watch is security. T.J. Gottesdiener of the Skidmore, Owings & Merrill firm that produced the final design told the Associated Press that the high-rise was built with steel-reinforced concrete that makes it as terror attack-proof as possible.
As per USA Today, he said the firm went beyond the city’s existing building codes to achieve that.
–Jamaal Fisher (@jamaalfisher)
